Breaking Boundaries
by sillybella
Summary: Edward and Bella remap some boundaries. Absolutely no plot, but probably more oneshots.
1. Summer Reading

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the authors. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks to Lakegirl for a great beta.

Over on the Lexicon, several of us have been debating exactly how far Edward and Bella could go v. how far they would go. No layer cakes what-so-ever, but plenty of donuts, Danish and éclairs, glazed and iced, but not on the same plate.

This honestly began as a little one-shot of Edward teasing Bella about reading Dracula. But the smut sort of took over.

…………………

_**Summer Reading**_

by sillybella

"What are you reading?" Edward whispered. As usual, I hadn't heard him arrive. He tucked his shoes under the bed and lay beside me, wrapping one arm around my shoulder and placing his hand over mine. With his other hand, he gently rubbed my back. He kissed the back of my neck and peeked over me to glance at the book.

"_Dracula_?" he chuckled incredulously. "You're reading _Dracula_?"

I sighed. I had known this was coming. "I'm reviewing it. It was on the summer reading list for English. We'll be discussing it in class any day now. Have you even looked at it?"

"The book? Or the list?" He said with a certain nonchalance before he started kissing my neck again.

I turned to face him and rolled my eyes. "Either."

"I've read the book, of course. It was published well before I was born, but it was still rather scandalous in my youth. My mother wouldn't allow me to read it. She thought it was too violent. Also, by then, people had begun to make sexual associations with the story. She was afraid it would mark me somehow. Of course, she hadn't read it either. It was far to risqué for a woman of good breeding. At least, it was during the early 1900s." He smirked. "But Carlisle gave me a copy. I found it amusing."

He watched me carefully. "What do you think about it?"

I hesitated. "It wasn't exactly what I expected."

"How so?" he urged.

"Well, I've seen various movie versions. They basically fall into three categories," I explained. "Some are just ridiculous."

"Only some of them?" he asked with a grin.

"Don't be an obnoxious vampire." I tried to keep from laughing. It didn't work.

Contrite, he encouraged me, "Go on."

"In others, Dracula is handsome, sexy; more a hero than a villain."_ More like you. _I paused and glanced at him. "I mean, why on earth would Mina want Jonathan Harker when Dracula is so clearly superior?"

"Dracula is always a villain, Bella," Edward spoke softly.

"Not in the movies, he's not. Sometimes he's a lover," I argued, blushing. A grin spread across his face. "But then there are the movies where he is. The villain, I mean. They always show some bald, skull-headed creature with enormous fangs. The sort of person you would know right off just isn't your average human. Jonathan Harker would have had to have been a total idiot not to scream and run when he first saw him."

Edward's voice was sarcastic, "One would think that _anyone_ would scream and run when they meet a vampire."

I ignored him, just as I had when he'd urged me to do exactly that, well, at least the running part. And partly because the other vampires I'd met – James' coven, the Volturi – did make me want to scream and run. "But the book falls somewhere in-between. I mean, Dracula's certainly not sexy, but apparently he's not absolutely repulsive, either. A little strange-looking, perhaps, what with the pointed ears and hairy palms, but not so much you'd look at him and say, 'Not human.'" I shook my head and shrugged. "But the female vampires. _They_ always seem to be attractive. What's up with that? It doesn't seem fair to the guys."

"I wouldn't know. The only woman who's ever interested me is human. She just wants to be a vampire," he teased as he resumed kissing my neck.

I rolled my eyes. "It was a rhetorical question."

"Hmmm," Edward murmured. He kissed me below my ear. "How far have you read?"

"Well, I'm in chapter five, where Lucy is writing to Mina about Godalming, Morris and Seward all proposing to her. Seward is kind of creepy, playing with that knife while he proposes. Speaking of making people want to run." I shuddered. "At least it did make her want to scream."

"Are you sure it wasn't the proposal that upset you?" he asked with mock seriousness. I was about to protest when he continued, "Most people don't notice how creepy Seward is. That's quite observant of you. But then, that's typical." Edward snickered. "You're less frightened of the vampire monster than the human monster." He pulled me closer to him and kissed my forehead. He _could_ make me want to scream when he kissed me like that.

Something he'd said intrigued me. I tried to imagine Edward as a real seventeen-year-old. "Wait. Your mother really wouldn't let you read it?" I asked.

He stopped kissing me and shook his head as he ran his thumb over my cheek.

"And now it's required reading for school," I laughed quietly. "Do we seem completely depraved to you?"

"Times have changed," he said softly, still brushing my cheek gently. "Sometimes it's embarrassing. Other times, I'm really glad."

"Which times are which?"

"It's embarrassing when I hear some of the things men say to women. Or about them. Or even around them. It's disrespectful. My parents taught me that, and Carlisle believes that respecting women is important, as well. And it's really embarrassing to hear the things people _think_ but won't _say_. If you could hear what some of the guys at school think about." He shook his head. "No. Actually, I'm glad you can't hear it." His forehead wrinkled as he spoke. "I'd hate for you to have to listen to that."

I waited for him to continue, but he didn't speak. Finally I asked, "And the times you're glad?"

Edward gazed into my eyes. "When I'm with you." He paused and gave me a guilty look. "I know that by modern standards we've done nothing improper." He seemed more than a little uncomfortable. "When I was alive, holding you, touching you, kissing you – it would have been outrageous and disgraceful behavior. And for me to be alone with you, in your bedroom or anywhere else, it would have been considered shocking and shameful. Although I'm sure Charlie wouldn't be too thrilled with it even now, come to think of it."

Now I was starting to feel uncomfortable. Was Edward ashamed of our relationship? "Does that make me disgraceful and shameful?"

"Never!" He barely let me finish before he responded. "Bella, never. You say the most absurd things sometimes. Things were so different then. People believed that women who wore their hair down in public were indecent. The rules were so arbitrary. You are extraordinary, and you would be in any time period." He cupped my face in his hands and kissed me, his cold lips pressed against mine. Before I could react, he ended the kiss, but he still held me close. He traced my lips with his fingertips as he spoke. "And I like feeling a little scandalous. At least, I do if I'm with you. I've never felt so… so human before. At least, not since I _was_ human."

"So you feel scandalous with me?" _Scandalous. I kind of like that._

He gave me a curious look that was somewhere between naughty and sheepish and nodded.

"I suppose that it might raise some eyebrows if anyone knew that you spend almost every night with me. But I don't think anyone, even Charlie, would think twice about anything else we've done."

Edward averted his eyes and dropped his hand from my face. "I know where those lines used to be when I was alive, but I had no reason to care about them then. I have absolutely no idea where they are now. Somewhere between 1918 and Hollywood. I've thought about what we've done – and what we might do…but…" he struggled awkwardly and his voice faded.

_But what?_ I don't think I'd ever heard him sound so meek and uncertain. "So you've set the boundaries where they are out of consideration for my honor?"

"Most of them," he admitted. "Some of the boundaries are to keep you safe."

"But there are _other_ things you've thought about doing? Things you _want_ to do?" I held my breath. Every time I had tried to bring up this subject before, he'd found a way to change it. I'd always let it go because I knew how worried he was about hurting me. Plus, part of me was a little afraid to find out once and for all if he actually wanted me. But now…I had to know.

"Bella, I want you in every way. Even ways that I know I can't have you." Suddenly, he seemed to comprehend. He cupped my face in his hands and his voice dropped to the barest whisper. "Are you saying that _you_ want to change the boundaries?"

I wasn't sure of the best way to respond. My answer was a resounding "yes," but I didn't want to scare him off or embarrass him by being too forward. "Do you remember the first time you kissed me?" I asked carefully.

"Of course I do. How could I forget that?"

"I already had fewer boundaries than you did."

I saw his jaw clench. "That boundary isn't going to change, Bella. You know why."

"I was just using it as an example. There are other boundaries."

"Such as?" He eyed me speculatively.

I smiled. "Like this one. Lie back and relax, like you did that day in the meadow." I was clearly going to have to lead the way here. I still wasn't sure how much of his reaction was reluctance and how much was the same nervousness that I felt.

Edward rolled cautiously onto his back. He watched as I unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it open, exposing his chest. I grazed my hands over his muscles. His eyes grew wide when I straddled him. "Bella," he stammered nervously as I traced the shape of his abdominal muscles. I felt nervous, too, but I didn't want him to know just how nervous I felt.

"Shhh. Relax," I said with far more confidence than I felt. I placed my hands on either side of his torso and ran them up to his chest. He didn't take his eyes off my face. I pushed the sleeves down his arms and twined my fingers with his. I leaned toward him and let my hair fall against him, brushing his skin. He gasped as I exhaled against his chest. I breathed in his scent and kissed him. Not a chaste kiss. I caressed his body with my lips and tracked his muscles with my tongue. I _knew_ this was safe. He couldn't argue so far.

He brought one of my hands to his lips and kissed each finger, then my wrist.

I raised my head and looked into his eyes. "I like that."

"And I like _that_," he whispered, his voice husky.

I sat up again, watching his expression. I swallowed, thinking about what I wanted to do next. He watched me carefully, contemplating my every move. _I know what I'd like to do._ I took a slow, calming breath and crossed my arms to grab the hem of my pajama shirt. I pulled it over my head and tossed it on the floor. I held my breath waiting for his response.

Edward blinked in disbelief and opened his mouth but didn't make a sound. He lay absolutely still and stared. I'm pretty sure he stopped breathing. I swallowed nervously. I wasn't sure if his reaction was a good thing or a bad thing. My cheeks burned and I dropped my head.

"Bella," he finally whispered. "Is this your boundary?"

"Is this where you want my boundary to be?"

He hesitated before answering. Finally, he spoke, "No. But I don't want you to do something you don't want to do." He placed his thumb under my chin and lifted my face. His eyes pleaded with me. "You're blushing."

I laughed nervously. "This is … awkward. It's what I want, but I'm not sure about your response."

His mouth formed a perfect little "O" and he asked, "What is it about my response that makes you uncertain?"

"You seemed so shocked. I was afraid I'd gone too far."

A smile flickered across his face. "Shocked? No. _Awed_? Yes."

"_Awed_?" I repeated.

He nodded. "Isabella Marie Swan. Do you have no idea how exquisite you are?"

His words took my breath away. He kept his mouth closed this time, but he still stared. Cautiously, he raised his hands. "May I?"

"I think that's the point," I grinned.

Gently, he placed his hands at my waist. His thumbs circled the soft flesh of my abdomen. He breathed deeply. I knew he was inhaling my scent. He raised his hands slowly; their coolness set a wave of prickles across my skin. He cupped my breasts in his hands, stroking them with his thumbs. I gasped.

He jerked his hands away. "Did that hurt?"

I smiled and shook my head. My blush deepened. I took his hands in mine and brought them back to my breasts. It occurred to me that now I was imprinted on his perfect memory, like a photograph, only more private.

"You look pensive. What are you thinking?"

My face burned. "That there has to be a point when I can't blush any redder."

He laughed. "I'm quite partial to you blushing. It's beautiful." He lifted one hand to stroke my cheek. "You're beautiful," he whispered before dropping his hand back to my torso. He couldn't stop touching me, and his touch made my nerves tingle. I wondered if this was the way warmth affected Edward.

"One of the reasons you like the meadow on sunny days is because the heat warms you, right? You bask in the sun and feel warm?" I asked. He nodded, and I leaned forward, pressing my body against his as he wrapped his arms around me. I wanted the warmth to seep from my skin into his. I knew he could hear my heart beating, feel my pulse against his chest. I inhaled, drawing his scent deep into my lungs. "Is it the same when I make you feel warm?

"It's not the same at all. It's _much_ better," he murmured. "I don't believe I've ever felt this warm. You can't begin to imagine what this feels like."

"Describe it for me."

He shook his head. "I have no idea what to compare it to. I certainly can't remember anything from my human life to compare to this."

I waited for more.

"Maybe this will help. My sense of touch, like my other senses, is heightened. Think of how it feels when I touch you. Then multiply that exponentially. And that's just how it feels wherever you're touching me. There's also the way _you_ feel. The softness of your body. The shape of your body. Then add my other senses, smelling your scent, seeing how beautiful you are, hearing your voice, your heartbeat. I guess you could call it sensory overload." He sighed and shuddered.

"Would it still feel this good – if I were a vampire?"

"It would feel…different. And not so warm." He paused. "I think it would feel just as good. But for other reasons."

I kissed his chest again and decided to be daring. I knew I had to be careful—I didn't want to chip a tooth—and he could probably barely feel what I was doing, anyway, but I was curious…

"Bella?"

"Hmmm?"

"Did you just bite me?"

"Just because you won't bite me doesn't mean I can't bite you," I teased.

"Please, do it again."

I did. I bit his chest. I bit his shoulders. His neck. His cheeks. His ears. I even bit his nose. I bit the inside of his elbow. His wrists. His fingers. Then I started all over again. The irony did not escape me.

He touched me the whole time. His body seemed to vibrate against mine and he moaned softly. His fingers skipped over my body; his lips crushed into my skin. I rocked against him. _Even that felt good. For both of us, apparently._

Suddenly, he was on his knees, cradling me in his lap. "Too far?" I breathed, wondering what had triggered his reaction.

"Just…" he said as he exhaled slowly. "Just a surprisingly immediate response. I needed more control." He looked sadly into my eyes. "I don't want to hurt you, Bella. I'd never forgive myself."

"Is this our new boundary?" I asked cautiously. I was happy and more than a little surprised he'd let things get this far. I couldn't really complain if this was as far as he was willing to go. Even so, I wanted more.

He pondered a moment then shook his head. "I don't think it has to be." He smiled. "Trust me?"

"Always."

"Then let's try this." He rolled me upright, my back curved against him. We both knelt, his legs on either side of mine, as he kissed my shoulder. I felt my heart slamming in my chest and wondered if he could feel it, too. I tilted my head back and swallowed. His fingers ran lightly over my throat and down my breastbone. My breasts felt tight, and I struggled to breathe. His touch felt incredibly delicate. I reached behind me to touch him, my fingers in his hair. I grew dizzy from the smell of his breath. He pressed his hands against my breasts, to my sides, over my hips and down my thighs. I felt his coolness through my pajama bottoms.

"Don't stop," I whispered. "Please, don't stop."

He didn't understand. He ran his hands over my body and down my legs again. I placed my hands over his, guiding them back up the inside of my thighs. I twined my fingers with his and slipped them under the band of my pajama bottoms. "Don't stop."

He hesitated. "Bella, are you sure about this?"

"I've already told you that you could have my soul. My body is nothing compared to that." I pushed my pajama bottoms over my hips and wriggled them off to make it clear just how sure I was.

"I wouldn't say your body is nothing," he said solemnly. "In fact, I'd say it's most definitely a masterpiece. A work of art." He stroked me as he spoke, his fingers disappearing between my slick folds. He breathed deeply and I wondered if the scent he smelled on me now was different or just more intense. I'd ask later because I didn't want to interrupt him. His hands played against my flesh, their gentle coolness creating a burning deep inside me. The warmth spread in waves through my body. I gasped and shivered.

"Cold?" he whispered. Before I could answer he'd snatched up his shirt and slipped my arms into it.

I laughed. "I wasn't cold." _Not anywhere near cold. More like on fire._

His brow wrinkled for a moment; then he smiled in understanding, clearly pleased with himself. He rolled me back to cradle me in his arms then cupped his hand to my cheek. "I love you," he breathed into my ear before he kissed my neck. "I love you." He looked into my eyes and smiled that incredible smile, and I thought my heart might burst.

It suddenly occurred to me that I was draped, naked, across his lap. That fact hadn't escaped _him_, though. He took in every inch of my body, his nimble fingers caressing me, exploring me, his expression reverent. I blushed and leaned my head against his chest to hide my face. "Don't be embarrassed, Bella. You're beautiful," he assured me.

"It's just not fair," I complained as I raised my eyes to his.

A puzzled look crossed his face. "What's not fair?"

I smiled sweetly at him. "I'm naked and you're still wearing your clothes."

"You are wearing my shirt." He smiled possessively and reached underneath me to tug on the shirttails. I could tell he liked his shirt on me. To tell the truth, I liked his shirt on me, too. I planned on keeping it to sleep in on the nights he hunted.

"But it's unbuttoned. It doesn't count." I ran my hand over his chest and squirmed to face him again. He cupped my breasts in his hands and leaned forward, kissing one and then the other. "I like that," I sighed. _I REALLY liked that._ "But you're still going to have to get naked."

I slipped my fingers under his waistband and found the button on his jeans, catching him by surprise. I could feel him straining against the denim as I unzipped the zipper. I raised one hand and gave him a little push square in the middle of his chest, and he lay back on the bed. I caught his eyes as I struggled to pull his jeans over his hips. He smirked and raised his butt to make it easier. I tugged them the rest of the way down his legs and tossed them on the floor with my pajamas. Then I pulled off his socks.

It occurred to me that I'd never seen his legs before. I knew he looked fine in his blue jeans, but I wasn't prepared for the sculpted runner's calves or the defined muscles of his thighs. The dark blue boxer-briefs didn't hide anything. I bushed again, remembering what he'd said to me that first night in my room. _'I may not be human, but I am a man.'_

"What are you thinking?" he asked.

I wasn't about to tell him what I was really thinking. I raised my eyebrows and said, "That answers the boxers or briefs question."

"You only had to ask. I'd have told you." He chuckled, and then added, "Sometimes I do wear boxers."

"Ever go commando?"

He raised his eyebrows, apparently surprised by my forward question. "People haven't always worn underwear, you know. And for many years, the purpose of underwear was to keep your clothes clean enough to wear them longer. If you had enough clothes, you didn't need underwear."

"That doesn't answer my question. Ever go commando?"

He sighed. "Always, until Alice started buying my clothes." He shrugged. "Sometimes I still do. Old habits die hard."

"Alice dresses you, too?" I giggled.

He grinned. "Right now, I'm more interested in you _undressing_ me."

"Are you, now?" I teased. I pulled the hem of his underwear. Again, he raised his butt so I could pull them off. Then he lay still. Michelangelo's _David _would never look the same to me again. Not after seeing Edward's physical perfection. _What I wouldn't give for my own perfect vampire memory bank._

Until this point, I'd been acting on instinct. But now I felt – uncertain about what to do next. I'd never touched anyone like this before. It was different, somehow, than being touched. _And he was so good at that._ I breathed deeply. _At least I can't hurt him._ I started tentatively at his feet. I'd seen his feet before; his slender, long white toes. My hands roamed slowly up his ankles and over his calves. He closed his eyes and sighed. My hands crept over his thighs.

He hummed. Really hummed. Soft, low, beautiful. I relaxed and slid my hands higher so I could grab his butt. He raised his head and opened his eyes, grinning as he watched me.

I bit him again, all along his inner thigh. His stomach contracted, and he exhaled. I ran my tongue upward from his knee. "You taste as good as you smell," I whispered.

His laughter had an edge to it. "And you talk about _me_ not being fair…"

I ignored him and switched thighs. This time I kept going. I exhaled slowly, my breath warming his skin. Then I used my tongue, licking from the base to the tip of his penis. He gasped, and I felt his whole body jerk.

"Bella," he stammered. "You don't have to…"

When I glanced up, he was almost sitting, his arms supporting him. "Shhhhh…" I reached my hand up to cover his mouth. It gave me an instant to make sure I wasn't shaking. He fell silent, but he didn't lie back. He watched me carefully, his eyes disbelieving as I explored him, feeling his hardness.

Question after question about vampire physiology ran through my mind. Since he was like marble to begin with, was this an erection or just his normal state? How would I know the difference? If there _was_ a difference. One thing I knew: he didn't feel like marble in my mouth.

I slid my hands over his hips and down to his thighs, raking what little fingernails I had over his flesh. I felt his legs tremble on either side of me. _Could he be as nervous right now as I am? Or did I cause that to happen?_ He touched my head, and his fingers caught briefly in my hair before he gasped and pulled his hand away. _I did. I caused him to tremble._ I felt a little more confident, so I slipped one hand underneath, searching. I found his testicles and squeezed them together. He raised his hips. I arched my neck so I could take him as deeply as possible in my mouth. _Okay, so I feel a lot more confident._

Suddenly, I found myself lying on the bed beside him as he gasped and shuddered. I reached for him and he whispered, "No, Bella. Wait."

So I watched him. I watched as his muscles quivered uncontrollably. I watched as he closed his eyes and ground his teeth together to keep from crying out. _I did that. I caused him to feel like that. _ I watched as his arms relaxed and he lowered his body onto the bed and lay very still beside me. I waited until he inhaled and opened his eyes.

He twined his fingers around mine and gave me a somber look. "I think I lost control," he whispered. He scanned my face and body for injuries. "Are you hurt?" I shook my head. A relieved smile crossed his face.

I curled onto my side and reached to run my free hand through the glistening fluid on his pale skin. He grabbed my wrist before I could touch him. "No, Bella."

"Why not?" I asked, confused.

He held my hand to my face. "Your fingernails are bitten to the quick, and that's venom. I don't think it would change you, but I'm not taking any chances. And for once, you don't want to, either. It would be such a tiny amount into your bloodstream that the transformation would be long and painful."

"That's venom?" I asked, incredulous.

"If you could see the look on your face right now," he laughed quietly. "Yes, Bella, that's venom. Venom replaces all of a vampire's body fluids."

"Oh," I murmured. "I had no idea."

"And I had no idea that you would be willing to…" He paused, his brow furrowing as he searched for words. "…Expand our new boundaries to that point. I am …_surprised_."

"Surprised?" I repeated nervously.

He nodded. "Pleasantly surprised, but surprised none-the-less. That was amazing." He sighed. "You are amazing." He rolled onto his side to face me. His gaze held me and we lay there silently until he kissed my neck, just under my ear. His lips grazed over my body, kissing me randomly. Well, mostly randomly. I felt my nipples stiffen under his kisses. Once more, he lifted me into his arms, this time, raising my legs and nudging them apart so he could kiss my thighs. He tilted his head back, closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He placed his lips against my tender flesh and looked at me sorrowfully. "It's too dangerous. I can't …" he whispered.

_Damn his teeth. I'd give anything for a real kiss. _I smiled and guided his hand between my legs. "I know. We'd have a hard time explaining that particular bite to your family."

Tenderly, he stroked his fingers against my skin. I raised my hips to him, enjoying the way it made my stomach flutter. He used his thumb to caress and explore blindly while he kissed me. His thumb found its mark, pressing against my nub. Edward was always thorough, and this time was no exception. My body absolutely throbbed at his touch. I felt burning pleasure race over and over again along every tendril of nerves. It was all I could do to remember to breathe as my body undulated wildly against his. I felt a scream rising in my throat and I sank my teeth into his shoulder to silence myself. He sighed as I bit him, murmuring, "Harder, Bella. Please."

_Was that a quiver I heard in his voice? Did I really have that affect on him? _Then his body shuddered against mine. Finally, we lay silently in each others' arms, him not breathing at all, me gasping for every breath.

Once I found my voice, I whispered, "You're good at this too, you know. In fact, if Dracula was anywhere near as good at this as you are, I can understand why Mina would overlook his physical imperfections." I grinned.

Edward shook his head. "Silly Bella. I love you. Truly, I do."


	2. Sweet Dreams

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the authors. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.

_**Sweet Dreams**_

by sillybella

Bella sighed, snuggled closer and whispered, "Edward."

If I hadn't been able to hear her heartbeat, I'd have thought she'd awakened. But she was talking in her sleep. Again. That meant I could indulge in one of my guiltiest pleasures: listening in on her dreams. At least, what _she_ said in them. Sometimes I tried to imagine how her words fit into the whole. Other times, the things she said left me completely perplexed, just as she often did when she was awake.

This dream, however, was fairly obvious. She pressed her body against mine, her flesh warming me beyond belief, and whispered again. "Edward, more." Still asleep, she pressed her lips to my chest and kissed me. It actually sent heat through my body. I'd never figured out how that worked, and I'd had plenty of time to think about it.

Loving Bella was a miracle. A torturous miracle. Bella had pressed every boundary she could. I resisted, drawing the line that first night. I still felt terrified of hurting her, although she was fearless. I could never be sure that she understood the _danger_ to her, _always_, with me. As for me, I did everything I could to keep her safe. Not an easy feat when her greatest danger was me.

She'd taken to sleeping in my shirts, unbuttoned, after that first night. She said the shirts smelled like me and reminded her that I was there, that I had come back, especially on the nights I needed to hunt. I had to admit, something about it made me feel even more possessive and protective of her. There was always time for me to button her up and hide if I heard Charlie approaching.

She preferred that I lay beside her naked. I found myself conflicted, part of me shy and embarrassed while another part of me relished the fact that she wanted me, even wanted to touch my cold flesh. I could sense that she felt the same shyness, scared to reveal her body for the first time but still wanting to share herself with me. I'd been surprised, that night, when she'd raised her shirt and tossed it to the floor. Overcome with the sight of her body, her translucent skin, her perfect breasts. Amazed that she would allow me to touch her. Positively thrilled when she guided my hands over her body and to the heat of her sex. Heaven might deny me, but compared to Bella, it had nothing to offer.

I kissed her forehead and she shifted, raising her lips to mine. I tucked her hair behind her ear, noting that she still slept. _A sound sleeper, my Bella._ A slow smile crept over her face and she murmured something not quite any word that still managed to convey some sort of satisfaction. _My Bella. I like the sound of that._

When she pressed her forehead against my chest and began to shift her body against mine, I felt almost certain she was waking. Her breath and heartbeat rose in unison, but when I lifted her face towards me, she still slept. _She must be dreaming._ And based on the evidence, this was one dream I could interpret easily.

She raised one leg over mine and rocked against me. I couldn't control my response, even though I knew the danger. To make things easier, I shifted my top leg between hers, adjusting to her rhythm. She murmured again. I wondered what _I_ was doing in her dream.

"Mmmmmm. Edward. Don't stop. Please, don't stop."

I smiled. Whatever I was doing in her dream, it was apparently the _right_ thing. She kissed my chest, her lips pressing lightly at random spots. I kissed her forehead then gasped as her kisses turned to little bites. _Why does that excite me so?_ I gave in to my own pleasure as her teeth grazed my skin. Her hot breath warmed me to my deepest core. She set my cold body on fire.

I could feel her, breathing even harder now, wet against my leg, her body trembling against me. _Yes, Bella, yes._ Her breath became ragged and she arched her back, pressing her breasts against me. Her nipples were hard, taut from the chill of my body. She shuddered and calmed for a moment, breathing easier, before she churned against me again, her shudder coming faster this time. She paused and gasped for air as her whole body quivered in my arms.

_A good dream, then._ I held her as tightly as I dared, and she gripped my body with a ferocity that startled me as she slowed her breathing. Perhaps she would tell me about her dream when she awoke.

Now she whispered once more. "Edward, I love you." Her head rested against my chest as she relaxed her hold fell into peaceful sleep.

"And I love you, Bella. More than you can imagine."


	3. Dreaming Live

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the authors. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks to Bronzehariedgirl for a wonderful beta.

I thought people might like to know what Bella dreamed. I always hate those _Dallas_-like, "And I woke up and it was all a dream" stories, but I thought people might want to know what Bella dreamed in the last part. I decided that since it was clear from the beginning that she's telling her dream, it wasn't the same kind of cop-out. The nice thing about a dream sequence between Bella and Edward – no need to worry about Edward having _any_ restraint. He could _bite_ Bella without actually changing her!

_**Dreaming Live**_

by sillybella

When I woke he was staring at me. That wasn't unusual, in and of itself. He always watched me sleep. But finding myself wrapped tightly around his leg was…different. I started to extricate myself, but when I moved it became incredibly clear what had happened. I thought that dream seemed a little _too_ real. I blushed.

Edward laughed softly. "Nice dream?" he whispered. He shifted his leg a tiny bit, but I felt it, just like he wanted me to.

"Really nice dream," I murmured, blushing harder.

"So tell me about it," he grinned. "I might enjoy it, too."

I leaned into his chest. Pressed against him, a little dizzy from his scent, it might be easier to talk about that dream.

He laughed again. "I can't see you blush when you do that, but I can feel your cheeks burning." He ran his fingers through my hair, then over my jaw. Finally, he tilted my face up. "Tell me your dream. And don't be embarrassed." He kissed my forehead. "I can imagine, but I can't dream. I know when I imagine things that I'm imagining them. But when you dream, it feels real, doesn't it? Like it really happened. I wish I could dream about being with you." He kissed my forehead.

His voice was so soft, so wistful. I'd realized that he couldn't dream, but I'd never thought about it that way. I smiled, remembering just how real my most recent dream had seemed.

"Tell me, Bella," his voice caressed the air. "Tell me. Please? Tell me everything."

So I shifted in the bed, squirming higher so I could lay his head against my chest. I knew he liked to listen to my heartbeat. He breathed deeply, and I knew he didn't need the air. He was inhaling my scent. He kept telling me that I smelled like flowers. Freesia. He'd even sent me some a couple of times, since I had no idea what they smelled like. He wrapped one arm upward, twining his fingers into my hair. With the other hand, he gently stroked my thigh as I began to speak.

"My dream began a lot like this. Us lying in the bed together. Only we were kissing." I paused. I wasn't sure I should tell him. But he had said to tell him _everything_. "_Really_ kissing," I added. "You do realize that I've never _really_ kissed _anyone_, don't you? You're the only guy I've _ever_ kissed, and I can't really kiss you." I could feel the frustration in my voice. I'm sure he could, too.

He angled his neck so that he could kiss my breast, his cool lips making my nipple peak. "I'm sorry." He sounded frustrated, too. "I've never really kissed anyone either," he whispered. "What was it like? Kissing me?"

I sighed. How to explain it to him so that it made sense? "It was amazing. For starters, I didn't pass out. You know how I tend to do that when we kiss."

His laughter surprised me. "Another benefit of dreaming. When you're already unconscious, you stay conscious when you kiss me. The irony."

"I guess it is a little ironic." I grinned. "But to feel you open your lips to me. The way your tongue traced over my lips, darted into my mouth. It was so cool."

"Cool?" His chucked, my chest muffling the sound. "You don't usually describe things as cool."

It was my turn to laugh. "I meant your tongue. It was cool. In temperature. Sort of like a cool mint without the minty flavor. Just the cool part."

"Did you just compare my tongue to a mint?" He turned his head up to look at me and roll his eyes.

"Sort of, I guess. Do you want to hear the dream or not?" I sighed.

His hand fluttered up my thigh, over my hip, across my stomach and finally rested, cupping one of my breasts. "Please tell me your dream." His voice held a certain urgency.

"We kissed for the longest time. And then, you kissed me like you always do, where you start near my ear and trace down to my neck. Only in the dream, you could open your lips and touch me with your tongue. And you did. Oh, Edward, you did. You dipped your tongue in the little hollow of my neck and made a trail down the center of my chest. You kissed my breasts. Really kissed them. It felt so good, even though the skin on my breasts stretched so tight I thought they might burst." Just remembering how it felt in my dream made me gasp.

"So what you're saying is you think me licking you is… hot?" His brow furrowed as he gave me an incredulous look.

A scowl covered my face. "Not when you put it that way."

I was surprised when he twisted about, and stuck his tongue out at me like a five-year-old. It wasn't your typical Edward. But then, he kissed me, next to my ear. First his lips, cold and hard, and then his tongue, flickering carefully, gently along my jaw. His lips covered his teeth carefully.

"How about when I put it this way?" he whispered.

"Oh, yeah," I gasped. "Absolutely."

He paused for a moment. "Or maybe when I put it this way?"

He stroked my neck then kissed it, his tongue swirling at the notch between my collarbones before he began weaving his way down to my chest. I could barely breathe by the time he reached my breasts.

"You like that?" He raised his head long enough to ask before darting his tongue over one of my nipples.

Oh, yes, I liked that. Now if I could just manage to speak so I could actually tell him. Instead, I shuddered. "Edward…"

He paused, "Yes."

"No, no, don't stop. Please, Edward." I heard him chuckle.

"I won't stop. But you can't either. Tell me more about your dream."

He expected me to talk while he did that? Had he forgotten that I had to breathe? I gasped and struggled to speak. After all, I didn't want him to stop. "Then you lifted my legs and draped them over your shoulders."

"Did I?" he asked archly as he did just that. "And then?"

"You kissed my stomach."

His lips trailed cold kisses until he reached my navel. It wasn't quite like the dream since he couldn't kiss me the same way, but it was certainly enough. Then he twirled his tongue around the rim of my belly-button, finally darting it inside. I arched my back. "Almost like that. Almost exactly like that."

"More," he begged. "Please. Tell me more."

My legs shuddered against his shoulders, tightening around his neck. Thank goodness he doesn't need to breath. I might suffocate him if he did. He noticed that I was gasping for air and stroked his hands over my hips. He crossed them over the front of my legs, his fingers resting on my inner thighs.

"Did I do this?" He rubbed gently.

"Oh, yes. Yes, you did." I nodded my head erratically. I managed to glance at him. He seemed to be enjoying himself. Maybe not as much as I was, but still.

"What about this?" He kissed my thighs. "Your skin is luminous," he whispered.

I'd given up talking. I'd given up pretty much any kind of communication other than the soft moans escaping from my lips. By the time his lips made their way up either side of my thighs, I'd lost all sense of reason, giving over to the ecstasy of his touch. A surge of heat passed through my body as Edward explored carefully, oh, so carefully, his tongue curling around my tiny bundle of nerves. I clenched my legs more tightly around his neck as my body arched in his arms. I'd never even imagined that anything could feel this good.

He whispered, his voice barely breaking through the thrill of his touch, "And after that? What came next in your dream?"

The blush burned more deeply on my cheeks than I thought possible. "You made love to me, Edward. You were cool and hard inside me, but somehow I felt as if I were on fire. I never imagined anything like it."

The grin spread across his face. "I was that good, was I?"

"Calling it 'that good' doesn't begin to describe it." I took a deep breath and shuddered at the memory. "I'm not sure any words could do it justice."

"Try," was all he said before he returned his attentions to my body. This time, when he lowered his head, his tongue slipped through my wet folds, penetrating my warmth. I gasped, trying to breath, as he explored every secret crevice while I shuddered, helplessly, in his arms.

"Oh, wet." I gasped. "Tight." I struggled to breathe. "More."

There was nothing else in this world but his tongue touching me. This room, this bed, everything vanished. Time suspended. Only Edward existed. Edward, and the fire that burned through my body as I rocked in his cool arms.

When the trembling inside my body stopped, Edward rolled under my leg to lie beside me. "You never finished telling me what happened in your dream," he laughed. Still unable to speak, I smiled and rolled against his cold, marble chest. The rest of the dream would have to wait while I caught my breath.

"Well, I wasn't the only one satisfied in my dream," I grinned shyly. How I could still feel shy with him at this point amazed me, but sometimes I did. I mean, there was his body, in all of its vampiric perfection, and there was mine, not even perfect for a human. So far from perfect as a human. I couldn't help but wonder when he would notice the flaws. He stared at me often enough, taking in every surface, every detail. But right now he smiled at me as if I were the most perfect creature in the world. He seemed almost overwhelmed.

His rubbed his hand down my body, resting it between my legs. "But you were satisfied?" I could tell he wasn't just talking about the dream.

"Oh, yes," I murmured, my voice shaking. I traced the side of his face, his lips, his jaw. I allowed my hand to continue its path, touching his neck and his shoulder. At the same time, he stroked me softly. I pressed harder against him, my hand slipping farther down, across his ribcage, over his hip. I gripped tightly and ran my foot over his calf before I wrapped my leg around his.

He shifted slightly and lifted his hand to my hip before he pushed it down my thigh and rolled my leg away. His reproach was stern, "Bella, behave."

Behave? Wasn't it a little late for that? I shrugged and raised my eyebrows. You can't blame a girl for trying.

"You were telling me about your dream," he whispered. As he spoke, his hand slid up the inside of my thigh and his long, cool fingers began to explore.

He expected me to talk while he did that? To carry on a coherent conversation? "I told you before, I wasn't the only one satisfied in my dream. I believe you enjoyed yourself, too."

"More than this?" he grinned, slipping one finger inside me slowly.

I shuddered. "Probably, I think," I whispered between gasps. I felt for his length and found it, holding him tightly. Our bodies were close enough that I could feel his stomach contract. His breath shuddered as he exhaled, and when he drew in a breath, his nose and lips hovering next to my skin so it would be full of my scent, I heard a raspy undertone. I twisted my hand, shifting around him. His eyes closed, his lashes dark against his cheek. He looked absolutely angelic. And happy, with no traces of the guilt or anger that haunted him most of the time.

"Of course, in my dream, you were inside me. It wasn't my hand around you. You were lost in me, held tightly inside my body." As he listened to my description, his mouth opened and a low moan escaped. "I rolled on top of you and rocked myself into you." I rocked against his hand, and he fluttered his fingers against me, but he couldn't hold his concentration for longer than that. He wasn't breathing regularly any more, either, just sporadic gasps when he wanted my scent. The whole time, I held him tightly in my hand, his stone body harder than I'd ever known it.

Ah, yes. Turnabout is fair play. "You were deep inside me, deeper each time we swayed together." Every sentence brought a new moan and he lost more and more of that carefully crafted composure. I _liked_ being able to do this to him. I knew he was imagining everything just as I was telling him. "You held me tightly," I whispered, and I felt his hand flutter between my legs again. I pitched against it, thinking of my own words as my body began to quiver once more.

He opened his eyes to watch me shudder with pleasure. I'm not sure how he knew the precise moment. Was his sense of touch so sensitive that he could feel my pleasure through touching me? And suddenly, always so suddenly, I found myself in his arms as he held me away from the venom that spilled with his climax. He kissed my forehead, my eyelids, my lips. His kisses trailed over my jaw and down my neck as he cradled me against him, swaying in a rhythm that matched my heartbeat, slowing steadily as my breathing slowed to a normal pace. Never mind that my body still ached with want, even after enjoying such extravagant pleasures.

"A good dream, then?" he whispered, smiling indulgently.

I sighed. "A very good dream."


	4. Still Under Construction

I'm really going to add more to this, but if you liked this smut, perhaps you'll enjoy my writing as Tekhne, too.

You'll have to type out "fanfiction" before the .net for the link to work.

.net/s/3530499/1/An_Unexpected_Life


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